We'll Keep The Light On For You

The prophet Zechariah was once given a vision of a “candlestick all of gold, and its lamp upon the top of it” - a symbol of a parish church (Zechariah 4:2; see also Revelation 1:20).

To keep the lamp burning continuously, the greatest need is a continuous supply of oil (v.3).

And for this, there were two olive trees planted on either side of the candlestick - symbolizing the FRUIT and the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit, through which the parish church is built.

The angel then told Zechariah that God's work would be done, not by human power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that every mountain that stood in the way would be flattened (Zechariah 4:6-7).

In God's work, we will face hindrances and obstacles of many types. We may wonder why God allows us to face such mountains, when we are wholeheartedly seeking to do His will alone. But God's purpose is to exercise our faith, so that we can experience His mighty power reducing all those mountains to a plain.

We read of an occasion in the gospels, where Jesus urged His disciples to go across the lake of Galilee. They did not want to go, but he urged them to go (Mathew 14:22). When they obeyed Him, they ran into a fierce storm. If they had disobeyed Him, and not crossed the lake, they would not have faced that storm at all. But they would not have experienced the power of the Lord stilling the storm either. It is only when we face the storms that we can also know the power of God.

It is the disobedient and compromising Christian who has an easy way through life.

But he never experiences the power of God either. The disciple of Jesus may go through "many afflictions". But he also experiences the Lord "delivering him out of all of them"(Psalms 34:19).

God delights to see His people trust Him in the midst of gigantic problems that no man can solve. It is in such situations that we prove that we believe in an almighty God. Far too many of God's people believe in a god of their own imagination who is unable to help them when they face man- made or demon-made storms or mountains. That is not the God of the Bible, but a god of their own making - an impotent idol of their imagination, no better than any heathen idol.

Is there any problem too big for our God? No. Then why do we fear when men or demons raise up mountains in our way?

When the Israelites heard of the size of the giants of Canaan, they began to think, "These giants are too big for OUR god to handle". Who was their god? Not the God Who had delivered them from Egypt, but a powerless figment of their own imagination. No wonder God sentenced them to 38 years of wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14).

They were unbelieving - and their unbelief insulted God and tied His hands, so that He could do nothing for them. There are Church leaders among the clergy today also who tie God's hands through their unbelief.

But God is looking for men like Joshua and Caleb, who will believe and proclaim that there is nothing impossible for God.

God is always on our side against Satan. And nothing can prevent Him from working for us, except our unbelief. Even if all the millions of people in the world and all the millions of Satan's demons opposed us, they would not be able to hinder God's purposes for us - if we trust in God. So we never get discouraged or give up - no matter what happens. Even if we die, we will die trusting in our Almighty God, believing that His Name will be glorified through our death!

When God allows us to face mountains - whether in the form of demons that wrestle with us, or hundreds of people who oppose us and accuse us - His purpose is that we might thereby become strong and wealthy in spirit. "If God be for us, who is against us?"(Romans 8:31).

It is only when we face mountains and the opposition of demons and men, that Zechariah 4:6-7 becomes more than just a face book post. It gets written into our bloodstream!

But we have to be wholehearted and say, "Lord I really want to stand for You here, whatever the cost. Give me grace to stand for You, even if all my fellow-believers become lukewarm, and even if my love ones opposes me. I am totally Yours. All I have is Yours. Even my finances." Then we will find God continually flattening mountains in front of us, everywhere we go.

Let there be any number of giants in the land. Our God can handle all of them. He will be "an enemy to thy enemies", and "judge those that have judged thee"(Exodus 23:22; Isaiah 49:25). God has promised that "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper", and that "and every tongue that [that shall rise against] thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. "(Isaiah 54:17). So we never need to defend ourselves when falsely accused. We can remain silent, "but [committed] himself to him that [judges him justly.]" (1 Peter 2:23). That is the dignity with which servants of the new covenant conduct themselves.

We depend on God utterly, knowing that He will never let us down. What He did for Jesus, Our Forerunner, He will do for us too.